How important to you is the food you put into your body? Or is it something that you rarely think about?
If you’ve never thought about the way the food you eat affects you, we want to tell you why it should…
Fuelling your body with better quality meat can not only help you physically, but mentally and emotionally too (when you start to think about where that meat is coming from!)
In general, here are some of the health benefits of meat consumption:
- It’s a good source of protein, which is required to build and repair your tissues, helping your body to grow and recover more quickly
- It contains iron, especially read meat, which is important for many vital bodily functions such as immune system and gastrointestinal processes
- It can aid with digestion and energy production, thanks to vitamin B-12
- It can help you maintain a healthy heart
But what makes some meats “better quality”?
Better quality meat is meat that not only tastes better but also comes with far greater benefits than “regular meat”.
Let’s explore that a little further…
Which meats are best?
Let’s be honest, you can visit your local supermarket and pick up practically any meat you want at a reasonable price.
The truth is, in this scenario as with every scenario like it, you get what you pay for!
The reason they are so cheap is because every aspect of producing that meat has been carried out to keep costs at a minimum.
That means feeding and looking after the animals cheaply, which ultimately leads to a lower quality of meat…
Just the same as when you feed yourself with cheap foods – you won’t be at your best.
So, what meats are best?
- Non-processed meats. The fewer ingredients in the meat you’re eating, the better it is going to be. This means trying to choose meat in its most natural form (chicken breasts, steaks, mince,
etc.) as opposed to sausages, bacon, or jerky for example.
- Grass-fed meats. This is better than the more common grain-fed meat. With an all-natural diet and access to as close to a natural life as possible (reared in open pastures), the meat from grass fed animals is far more nutritious because they have not been pumped with antibiotics (unless absolutely required) or hormones.
- Free range meats. As above, free range animals have been able to live as close to a natural life as possible – roaming around open pastures and foraging, just as they would have done in the wild.
These meats are better because the animals have had the diet they were meant to have, meaning they’re a healthier animal all-round and ultimately produce far better meat!
They contain a higher concentration of nutrients compared to meat from more intensively raised livestock, which in turn will be passed on to you when you consume them!
Add to this the fact that these rearing methods are also far kinder to the environment, and you are onto a winner!
You can also go one step further and start to look at the leanest cuts of meat:
- Beef. Beef is a high quality protein, containing all the amino acids needed to support your physical activity levels. However, some cuts are leaner than others – sirloin, top round, loin and flank are generally the leanest cuts of beef you can find. You can often see for yourself when shopping which cut of beef will be leaner, by the amount of fat and marbling throughout!
- Chicken. We often forget that chicken can be split into two – the white and the dark meat! Both have their own benefits – white is lower in fat, but the darker meat is higher in iron, zinc, selenium and B vitamins. But, in terms of the leanest cut, a skinless chicken breast is the way to go!
- Pork. There are so many different cuts of pork available, from chops to bacon, with many being high in saturated fat. But the leanest cut you can go for is the tenderloin.
- Lamb. A delicious treat, with some cuts generally much fattier than others! For the leaner cuts, go for either the rump or the leg.
With that said, all cuts are healthy in moderation, it just completely depends on your personal goals and preferences.
Choose better quality meat and become a better version of you!
Hopefully you can see that looking into where your meat has come from and how the animal has been reared can help you choose better quality meat!
It then goes without saying that you’ll be fuelling your body with meat that will help you perform better…
Plus, your mind will be at ease knowing you’re supporting the ethical rearing of those animals, whilst also helping to look after the environment!
At Athleat, we are always pushing to be the best, to perform with integrity and provide you with meat you can trust…
Just as an athlete strives to become the best version of themselves that they can possibly be. Always pushing, looking to improve and evolve.
We do this by sourcing meat of the highest quality and nutritional value that’s also environmentally and ethically reared.
You may not be an Olympic Athlete but if you want to be a better version of yourself, trust Athleat to provide you with the best.
Be an Athleat. Eat Natural. Perform Great.
Looking for some high quality, nutritious meat? Try Athleat... and you'll even be entered into our draw to win your order back!👇👇👇
